Jamie Agin

Sports

Tar Heels are sent home in second round

By Jamie Agin | January 11

DENVER, March 22 — In the end, perhaps it was fitting that a North Carolina team whose flaws were depth, size and the ability to finish games was finished off by a squad whose fortes were all of the above. Texas threw ice water on UNC’s smoldering title aspirations Saturday, handing the Tar Heels a 78-75 defeat in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and creating an emotional conclusion to Roy Williams’ first year in charge. “I am proud to be the North Carolina coach,” said Williams, teary-eyed.

Sports

UNC Walks Away With 2 of 3 From 2001 Champs

By Jamie Agin | April 29

Aside from a warning-track fly ball bouncing off an outfielder's head for a home run, perhaps there is no baseball fate more horrific than a pitcher walking home the winning run. On April 17, North Carolina reliever Michael Gross suffered such shame, giving a free pass to an East Carolina batter in the bottom of the ninth of a 2-1 loss. Thanks to Gross' efforts and some help from the Miami bullpen, he and the No. 19 Tar Heels were redeemed Sunday at Boshamer Stadium.

Sports

Baseball Sweep Sends State Packing

By Jamie Agin | April 22

A lone student emerged from his dorm room. Way off in the distance behind Boshamer Stadium's left field wall, way up on Ehringhaus' sixth floor balcony, the unknown man waved a broom for all of 30 seconds, then retreated inside. It wasn't the most picturesque of sweeps, but the North Carolina baseball team will take it.

Sports

Versatility, Attitude Separate Maples From Crowd

By Jamie Agin | April 17

It's as if the anthem that blares before each of North Carolina third baseman Chris Maples' at-bats was custom-made. I ... AM ... NUMBER ONE! No matter if you like it. Ready? Take this down in writing ... The senior leads the Tar Heels in every power category. In 38 games this season, he's already put up five more homers than he hit in 146 prior games. He's found his way onto Baseball America's Midseason Senior All-America Team. In other words, since the season's started, Maples hasn't missed a beat.

Sports

Baseball Looks Back, Eyes No. 1 Tigers

By Jamie Agin | April 12

Stock up on plutonium, test the flux capacitor one last time, and for the love of all things holy, avoid the Libyans. It's back to the future for the North Carolina baseball team. Three weeks ago, the No. 21 Tar Heels proved they could stand among the ACC's elite, rewriting history with their first ever sweep of Florida State. "We feel we're one of the better teams in the country, and we know we can play with and compete against the best," said center fielder Adam Greenberg on Wednesday, referring to the March series.

Sports

Baseball Downed in Crazy 8th

By Jamie Agin | April 8

WINSTON-SALEM - When Mike Fox was asked what positives he would take out of the North Carolina baseball team's weekend series with Wake Forest, the usually forthcoming coach hesitated. "It's hard to think of the positives right now," Fox said. "To get one on the road," he began, then changed his mind. "That's not good enough." Another season, one victory in a three-game series on the road against the No. 7 Demon Deacons might have been an accomplishment in itself. But Sunday, after watching his No.

Sports

Checking In With the Nation's Most Talented Trio of Signees

By Jamie Agin | April 2

The future of North Carolina basketball is running late. Raymond Felton, message board messiah, Tar Heel savior du jour, wanted to leave for his girlfriend's place in Florence, S.C., a half hour ago. But late on a Friday afternoon, hours after being dismissed from Latta High School for the weekend, the 2002 Naismith High School Player of the Year is back in the parking lot, coolly nailing every last question. How often do you talk to Coach Doherty? Have you played against LeBron James? Have you seen Hoop Dreams?

Sports

UNC Makes History With Sweep of Seminoles

By Jamie Agin | March 25

In the span of six months, three simple words have become the agony of Florida State die-hards everywhere. At North Carolina. Back in September, the UNC football team notched its first-ever win against the Seminoles, shocking No. 6 FSU with a 41-9 win at Kenan Stadium. This weekend, another FSU powerhouse team came to Chapel Hill and lost. Three times.

Sports

Power Surge Coming At Right Time for UNC

By Jamie Agin | March 22

To think, all it took for the North Carolina baseball team to break out of its season-and-a-half-long brownout was to generate some power. During the 2001 season, the Tar Heels were 31-26, failing to win at least 40 games and earn an NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 1997. The young pitching staff shouldered much of the blame for the disappointments, but the fact that the Tar Heels totalled their lowest home-run output since 1978 couldn't have helped.

Sports

Baseball Blasts 7 Homers, Routs Princeton

By Jamie Agin | March 21

When North Carolina first baseman Chris Iannetta crossed the plate after homering during Wednesday's game against Princeton, a funny thing happened. The Boshamer Stadium crowd began to boo. The solo shot wasn't called foul or overruled. The jeers came in response to an announcement from the press box. "Sorry fans, we're out of T-shirts." UNC hit seven bombs Wednesday, causing havoc for the team's promotions department and for the Tigers, which the Tar Heels downed 16-2.